How to tackle this new project. Clearing land. Any opinions???

gixxergary · Mar 29, 2015

Bought my first tractor last fall. A Kubota B2650 with fel and backhoe. Used the backhoe to dig up and replace some drain tile, move around some large logs from some trees that needed to come down, and to remove snow piles left by my truck plow. All good so far, but the real reason I bought this machine, was to tackle a largish to me clearing project.

I have a house we purchased last fall. It has 7 acres, and about 2.5 is cleared with the house and barn. The rest is mostly bush honeysuckle, some thorn and lots of garbage wild wood. The honeysuckle is about 10 foot tall. There are a lot of walnut and birch throughout the property that will definitely stay. We will be planting grass on the cleared areas. I would also like to put a gravel road from the front of the property to the back, so any equipment that needs to go back there next year, when we put in a patio, can do so without tearing up the grass. The terrain does have a slope to it in the areas that need clearing. If I had to guess, it would be about 10 degrees in some areas, less in others, so Im not to concerned about the tractor. Easy enough to attack the hill straight up and down when needed.

My plan so far is to cut down everything with a small chainsaw, leaving 6 inches of root exposed, so I can kill the honeysuckle. Then, to use the backhoe to pull the roots. Not sure if I should get a pto chipper for the tractor, since I will be using the backhoe at the same time, or a cheap pull behind unit. Most of this brush is 2 inches and less. Some 3 inch on the high side. I have a gator with a dump bucket, to haul the chips to the front of the property, where I will have it hauled away when done. (too much to burn in my opinion). Once cleared, I use a box blade to level out, and then till and till and till, to make sure I get everything out. Rake up and haul out. Let it settle and plant grass seed. Yep, that's about it, lol.

I have never attempted this size of clearing before, so any thoughts are welcome. Do I need to kill those roots, or should I just dig them out? Would a tooth bar help with this type of work?? The gravel drive area will be traversing the slope. Looking to make it 10-12 foot wide gravel when done. My thoughts are to use the backhoe for this, and finish with a box scraper. Any thing else I should be concerned with this?? Is there a better way to cut that road in? Should I burn vs chipping and hauling out. Lots of thorns in there, so I have no intention of using the chips for anything. We want to be able to walk the property eventually bare foot, that is the goal. I have quoted out the project to a pro tree service, and they narrowed it down to between 1 week and 3 weeks of work at 1200 bucks a day. Yes, that is a BS quote!!! So we are sticking the original plan to handle it ourselves.

Thanks in advance for the input.

Egon · Mar 29, 2015

Two to three inch trees.

Your bucket and tooth bar should work well for taking out the whole tree roots and all. Those that seem difficult will come out with the backhoe. No need to cut the trees.

I am not familiar with honeysuckle but assume the roots will come with the trees.

Pile the debris for chipping or ???.

Chip/or not chip and cover with dirt and let decompose??
Might go faster than expected.

amaxwell · Mar 29, 2015

Egon said:
Two to three inch trees.

Your bucket and tooth bar should work well for taking out the whole tree roots and all. Those that seem difficult will come out with the backhoe. No need to cut the trees.

i'm not familiar with hone

Is there anyone that does mulching in your area ?They run about $150-$200 an hour around here, but the 5 acres you need could probably be done in one day. The small stumps they leave at almost ground level are so splintered you can run over them with your tractor without puncturing a tire. Just keep it mowed and they will decay in a couple of years.

dave1949 · Mar 29, 2015

Pics would help.

Guys with tooth bars swear by them for rooting out brush. I would check into those for sure.

You could use a bush hog type mower for the first few years at least. To begin with, you could bush hog down all the small stuff between the larger trees. That will stop the progression of heavy growth and allow you to get ahead of it and keep down the parts already cleared.

Five acres is a good size area to make into finished lawn that can be mowed with a lawnmower. I think it will take a while to achieve that if that is your goal. I wouldn't make that much lawn personally. You will need a harrow, drag or some ground tool to get it smooth enough for a lawn after rooting around in it. That would be easier than box blading a large area trying to get it smooth.

Is it the BX's that have the exposed HST cooling fan on the bottom of the tractor? If so, that is something to think about or shield if taking it into that sort of job.

dwhite · Mar 29, 2015

I would avoid chipping for several reasons. First, it takes a long time to feed a chipper. Second, you admit you will have to deal with the chips afterwards anyway (seems very inefficient.) Third, chippers of the size you would need are expensive. Fourth, blowing chips into a gator will be very messy for the gator. I'd pile up slash piles and burn.

gixxergary · Mar 29, 2015

For 300 bucks, I think I will give the toothbar a try. The Piranah seems to be a popular setup. Would be great to not have to cut these things down first. Burning seems like its going to be a long long project to get done. I am surrounded by huge pines, so this would have to be done on a small scale. Wallenstein makes a 4 inch pto chipper that looks to be perfect for this size job.

Thanks for the replies.

SPIKER · Mar 29, 2015

I'm in the brush hog it down and then burn it in small sections, use box blade and brush hog to create burn fire breaks first. Once it is burned it is easy to see the mess to deal with such as larger saplings or trees you want to do away with. If it is green to where it wont burn brush hog it 100% (missing the bigger or good trees) and let it set long enough to dry out & burn it then.

I also would NOT plant this in grass as mowing takes a LOT of time, work, gas and wear & tear on you & equipment BOTH. Once you have the weeds & honeysuckle under control planting some good trees for wind, privacy is best bet. Leave an acre or so around the house/site and drive so you can keep sun in the area and fire breaks.

Mark

gixxergary · Mar 29, 2015

A lot of trees are in the plans. We want to introduce maples to our lot, as we have had them at our last two homes. You may think of it as wear and tear, but its therapy to me. Besides, I have two boys that usually take care of it. This project really is going to take a few years. Our plans are in a year or two, to build a beautiful patio and in ground pool back there.

Piranha tooth bar will be on order in a few minutes.

vtsnowedin · Mar 29, 2015

We need pictures. If you want to till it the more stumps and roots you get out to begin with the better. A two inch sapling (sorry those are not yet trees) can be pushed over with your loader then hooked onto with a chain attached to your draw bar and snatched out roots and all and hauled to your brush pile or stump dump. Smaller stuff less then one inch can be piranha bared or brush hogged off close and left to rot for a year before you try to till or plow through them.